Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

Yangon.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was very oppressive, and Su Mao remained silent with a gloomy face.

It's hard to say whether he secretly launched this democratic movement, but he must have fueled it after it happened; otherwise, it wouldn't have developed so quickly, let alone been unable to be suppressed.

As for why the domestic turmoil has not subsided after the downfall of the Nyan faction, it is because we should press on with our remaining strength. Su Mao has finally ascended to the highest power throne in Myanmar, and his allies and subordinates naturally need to receive corresponding benefits. One person needs one position, and if we don't get rid of all the Nyan faction's cronies, how can there be any vacant positions for them?

Of course, it is true that the scale of the unrest is now out of control.

After all, those local armed groups only had a tacit understanding with the Soviets, rather than being truly united. They also wanted to take the opportunity to expand their own interests.

If that were all, Su Mao could have turned the situation around in a year or two. After all, the military government is the largest military force in Myanmar and controls the overall situation. But no one expected Wang Yaotang to suddenly jump out.

Something unexpected has happened!

“Why aren’t you saying anything? The Umbrella fleet is only 200 kilometers away and will be arriving in Yangon soon. Than Shwe, say something!” Su Mao’s cold gaze fell on one of them.

Danrui pursed his lips, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in his forehead, a very unpleasant feeling.

More than a month ago, Than Shwe proposed to reclaim Wang Yaotang's two major tin mines in Myanmar, a proposal that was supported by many members of Su Mao's team.

To be honest, Su Mao was indeed tempted at the time.

These two tin mines are the largest, most advanced, and most profitable mines in the entire country of Myanmar, bar none.

The most crucial point is that because the two mines were not previously within the military government's controlled area, Wang Yaotang only paid relatively low taxes, and the military government did not hold any share in them.

To put it bluntly, these people in power in Myanmar don't even get a share of the profits; all the money goes to foreigners and the poor. This is very unlike Myanmar!

If this were nationalized...

Wouldn't that make them a fortune?
No need to find a reason, just follow the old calendar, and the temperature resistance will be good too!
In fact, the countries that gained independence after World War II all did similar things, including camels. In their eyes, Wang Yaotang, who mined minerals on the land of cotton trousers, was no different from those invaders.

They're all sucking the blood of the Burmese!

However, the Suma military government is currently busy suppressing demonstrations and riots in the areas it controls, as well as clashing with several local armed groups. It is not the right time to start a war with Shan State. In the end, the proposal was suppressed. He wanted to wait until he had dealt with the other parties before mobilizing all his forces to deal with the cancerous tumor that is Shan State!
According to Su Mao's team, the main reason why Myanmar has been at a disadvantage in its conflicts with local armed groups in recent years, and has been repeatedly defeated by Lo Hsing Han and Peng Jiasheng in Shan State, is that Nai Win and his team members have gotten old.

The older a gangster gets, the more timid he becomes. Once he's made enough money, he only wants to live a peaceful life, which is why the military government's fighting capacity has declined significantly.

These young people are at the peak of their ambition. After overthrowing these old guys and seizing power, they will surely be able to deal with those local armed groups and achieve the great unification of Myanmar!

A coup d'état is a coup d'état, and making money is making money, but that doesn't mean these people have no political ambitions.

Burmese nationalism!
Even if it's rare, even if it's distorted, it still exists!

But now the invaders are coming back with their clubs: I'll fucking teach you to be ambitious, I'll teach you to be ambitious!
“He definitely wouldn’t dare attack Yangon; that would be an invasion!” Than Shwe said, taking a deep breath.

"And then?" Su Mao asked expressionlessly. "He doesn't need to attack. He only needs to block the shipping lanes so that ships can't get in or out, and our finances will collapse in a short time!"

Danrui's face flushed and paled at the question, but he didn't know how to answer.

This is not like more than a hundred years ago when Myanmar could still close its borders and operate without foreign trade; without foreign trade, Myanmar's economy simply cannot complete its internal circulation.

Rice is Myanmar's top export product, with an annual export volume of 120 million tons, generating approximately US$2.2 million in foreign exchange.

缅国大米一年两季，雨季稻每年6-7月种植，11-12月收获，收割脱粒运输到港正好是1月末2月初。

Then Wang Yaotang arrived with his fleet!

The 60 tons of rice are at a critical stage of export. If they cannot be loaded onto cargo ships on time, they will just pile up at the port. The port does not have a dedicated long-term grain storage warehouse. In just one or two months, the grain will either become moldy or sprout. We will not only fail to earn a penny, but also have to compensate the other party for losses and bear the disposal costs.

This is just rice; beans, mung beans, and other legumes are exported at a rate of $1.9 million annually, and most of them are currently stuck in the port.

Other commodities such as teak, rubber, fish, and shrimp also rely on Yangon Port for import and export. If Wang Yaotang leads his fleet to block the port for a month, the Soviet Union will have to consider how to deal with the larger-scale turmoil caused by domestic inflation and economic crisis.

"General, we are the exporting country, and the contract is with a foreign company. They are responsible for their own transportation. If the goods arrive at the port but they can't get them out, what does that have to do with us?" someone asked doubtfully.

"That's how it works in theory, but it doesn't work in practice," someone whispered.

"why?"

It wasn't that the Soviet military government lacked business acumen; they had recruited quite a few talented individuals in this field. However, these individuals held relatively little influence within the organization because they lacked control over the truth.

“Wang Yaotang has a fleet. Companies that want to transport goods from Yangon will find shipping companies. But the fleet blocks the ports. How can those shipping companies dare to take the risk of accepting such orders? What if they are sunk on the vast ocean? If the shipping companies don’t accept the orders, what can those companies do?”

"Those companies suffered losses because of Wang Yaotang! They should seek compensation from him! They should sue him!"

"How can we sue? Where can we sue? Wang Yaotang didn't say anything about forbidding them from taking the goods. It's the shipping companies' refusal to accept orders, what does that have to do with Wang Yaotang?"

"Then you want us to compensate you?"

"It's not really about compensation, it's just that if we don't fulfill the contract, we won't receive payment. If this happens, it will severely damage Myanmar's international reputation. Grain merchants, timber merchants, and rubber merchants will stop asking us for goods. All the domestically produced goods will just sit in warehouses and get moldy. Domestic industry merchants will inevitably go bankrupt, and the farmers will go bankrupt as well."

"Damn it, isn't this bullying an honest person?!"

The meeting room was filled with curses.

They're always the ones bullying others and confiscating the assets of Chinese people. This time, they're being bullied like honest people... How could they not be on their guard?

The government official in charge of commerce kept his head down and remained silent. He had opposed the proposal to nationalize Wang Yaotang's mines when Dan Rui suggested it, but at that time, these ruthless people were blinded by profit and no one listened to him.

Of course, if Wang Yaotang really blockaded the port for a month, he would offend many people; it would be like killing a thousand enemies while losing a hundred of his own.

The conference room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, silencing the room and drawing everyone's attention.

An officer quickly ran to Su Mao's ear and whispered, "Three planes have entered the airspace over Yangon Harbor and dropped several bombs."

"What!" Su Mao's eyes widened, his gaze sharp as he looked over. "He dares to bomb the port?"

"It was a training round; it just left a few large craters in the ground."

A hint of regret flashed in Su Mao's eyes. Why wasn't it live ammunition?
If Wang Yaotang had actually bombed the port and caused a large number of casualties, he would have jumped for joy.

What kind of act is it to bomb the port of a country's capital?
At most, it's just intimidation, nothing serious, and they can't get any leverage over Wang Yaotang at all.

Upon hearing that Wang Yaotang's planes were bombing the port, the previously quiet conference room erupted in uproar, filled with considerable excitement.

Some people were clamoring for the air force to be deployed, while others were urging the air raid sirens to be sounded; everyone wanted to take on Wang Yaotang.

At that time, the Myanmar Air Force only had a dozen or so aircraft capable of combat missions, including J-6 fighters, Q-5 fighters, and trainer aircraft. Of course, there was no problem in repairing the Y-5 transport planes that had been converted into Y-5s.

"Alright, stop arguing!" Su Mao slammed his hand on the table, and the meeting room fell silent. "His aircraft carrier is just a few dozen kilometers out at sea, with an escort fleet around it. Is he going to fly out and die?!"

The Y-5 is indeed dilapidated, but if it's only operating at a few hundred meters altitude relying on the fleet, the Myanmar Air Force really wouldn't dare to go up there.

Going there would be like throwing good money after bad!
The group of people who had just been shouting immediately lowered their heads, which made Su Mao feel annoyed.

You bunch of blustering bastards, why don't you dare to shout and fight them? You might as well all die together!
Let's learn from the Japanese and crash our planes into them! I bet we'll get them covered in blood!

If he truly had that kind of backbone, he would dare to fight against that Wang guy even amidst domestic turmoil.

We must demonstrate our strength and momentum. A little economic loss is nothing; a country as large as Myanmar can withstand it!

However, these people clearly lack this awareness.

If they really had that kind of courage, the military government, with its superior equipment and manpower, would have wiped out the local armed forces long ago... "Look at you all, you're useless!!" Su Mao cursed angrily.

After calming down for a few minutes, Su Mao took a deep breath and said, "Danrui, go and talk to Wang Yaotang. Make sure to keep the situation under control."

The so-called nationalization was just a proposal; the military government had not officially announced it, and everything could still be salvaged.

Danri's face was ashen, as if his entire family had died. His eyes darted around the meeting room frantically, searching for support. Everyone else lowered their heads and remained silent, intently studying the texture on the table.

Su Mao's meaning was clear: you proposed the idea, and if it succeeds, you can share a lot of benefits, but if it fails, you will have to take responsibility.

Responsibilities and rights are equal, which is fair.

It's impossible to say that you don't have to take responsibility for doing something wrong.

Now, either you deal with Wang Yaotang and everything will be fine, or don't blame everyone for throwing you out and incurring Wang Yaotang's wrath.

"Fine, I'll go!" Danrui said through gritted teeth, his heart burning with rage.

If things had gone well, the biggest benefits would have been shared by everyone. But now that something has gone wrong, I'm being made to take the fall. Who would dare to do anything with a government like this in the future?
How can we possibly get along with a bunch of insects like you in Myanmar!

With his head down, he walked out with heavy steps. The meeting room was quiet, with only the dull sound of his shoes hitting the carpet.

Watching the conference room door slam shut, Su Mao closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. He knew that this approach was not in the best interest of the people, but what could he do?
Myanmar's navy is terrible; even if they sent out their entire fleet, they couldn't defeat a single 0, let alone the Umbrella Corporation's fleet, which even has an aircraft carrier!
Moreover, the Burmese army's fighting spirit is so weak that if they knew their opponent was this kind of fleet, they would have panicked and broken camp before even leaving port!
At Yangon Port, the Umbrella Fleet was cruising at low speed 40 kilometers away. Stopping the ships was impossible, and restarting them would take too long.

A patrol boat flying the Myanmar flag slowed down as it approached, and Than Shwe stood on the deck, looking at the aircraft carrier in the distance with a shocked expression.

The feeling of looking at it from a distance is completely different from looking at it up close; the oppressive feeling makes it hard to breathe.

They had already contacted the Umbrella fleet via radio and agreed to let him come over, but after he arrived, they found that the Umbrella fleet had no intention of stopping to let him board. Now he was stuck here, unable to move forward or backward.

Even if I give you a chance, you won’t use it!

Transiting between regions requires not only advanced technical training but also high-performance vessels, which Myanmar lacks the capability for.

The others on the patrol boat didn't dare to provoke Danri at this moment, and they all lowered their heads and pretended not to exist.

Seeing that there was no other way, Danri had no choice but to order them to turn back and get another helicopter.

This ordeal took another hour, and by the time the helicopter reached the aircraft carrier, the pilot's palms were sweating.

Myanmar doesn't have warships capable of berthing helicopters, has never trained its pilots in helicopter take-off and landing techniques while on the move, lacks specialized shipboard modifications, and doesn't have ship-aircraft coordinated positioning, landing guidance systems, or Doppler speed and attitude stabilization radar before forcing pilots to land...

Liver tremor!

Fortunately, it's an aircraft carrier, with a deck that's spacious and sturdy enough.

"Bang bang bang..." Several collision sounds were heard. The landing still had problems. The landing gear was deformed from the impact. If Danri hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, he would have been thrown out.

He got off the helicopter looking disheveled, and his legs gave way when he landed, almost causing him to kneel.

Before he could even adjust, several gunmen with buzz cuts rushed up and pressed gun barrels against his forehead. They then began a thorough search of him, leaving Danrui disheveled as if he had just been assaulted.

After confirming that he had no dangerous items, he was led to the ship's deck. Wang Yaotang's photo had been seen countless times before the trip, so he was immediately recognized.

When Danrui met Wang Yaotang's cold gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine. This kid wants my life!

"Mr. Wang..." The words that were originally meant to question the hospitality stuck in his throat. Dan Rui said somewhat hoarsely, "Mr. Wang, you brought your fleet here for a visit, why didn't you come into port? If we have done anything wrong in our hospitality, please forgive us, and we will do our best to improve."

"You're Danrui, you bastard who wanted to nationalize my business!" Wang Yaotang stepped forward and kicked the man to the ground, then proceeded to give him a series of vicious kicks.

"Fuck your mother! You even want to lay a finger on my business? Who the hell gave you the guts to do that? Your bastard ancestors?!"

"You shameless bastard!"

What nonsense about the demeanor of a super-rich person? It doesn't exist.

If you don't dare to be willful when you're broke, and you still don't dare to be willful when you're rich, then what's the point of having money?
As a major general, Wang Yaotang couldn't possibly kick him to death on the spot. In the end, he spat a mouthful of phlegm in his face before turning around and sitting back down.

At least I got my revenge.

"You fucking bastard, you've wasted so much of my time! Do you even know how much it costs to send an aircraft carrier fleet on a trip like this?!"

"Even if I chopped you up and sold you, it wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of your filthy bastard!"

Wang Yaotang was too strong. Dan Rui had just covered his head to protect himself, which must have resulted in a broken forearm. He was in so much pain that he was covered in cold sweat and couldn't even sit up.

After a long while, he finally calmed down a bit, and said through gritted teeth while holding his arm, "I was just making a suggestion. Whether it is implemented or not ultimately depends on the collective opinion. Wang Yaotang, you can't blame me for being useless."

"Bullshit! What kind of word games are you playing with me? Why don't you mention what others are saying? You think you're so smart, so patriotic!" Wang Yaotang sneered. "Trying to test my reaction, now you know the result. How does it feel to be thrown out as a scapegoat? Enjoy it!"

One sentence made Danrui's expression change drastically, his face filled with astonishment.

He hadn't thought about it this way before, but now he suddenly realized something was wrong. The idea first came to him because someone had told him several times that Wang Yaotang was making a fortune mining tin in Myanmar and dominating the Southeast Asian tin market, while the Burmese people couldn't even get scraps. They said people missed the days when the country was nationalized, and so on...

Seeing his expression, Wang Yaotang sneered, "Now you know? Too late. They'll use you as a scapegoat and then divide up the power you hold. They'll be happy no matter what. And I won't let you off the hook either, otherwise next time any Tom, Dick, or Harry will dare to shout 'nationalization'!"

"So you're dead!"

"Why don't you take a piss and look in the mirror? You dare to play politics with anything? Do you even have the guts to do that? You're being sold out and you're still counting the money for the seller!"

Danrui trembled all over, his face was ashen, and his expression was terrified. He had completely lost his composure.

Wang Yaotang waved his hand dismissively, "Throw it out."

The two men with buzz cuts dragged Danrui outside. He had come all this way, but all he got was a beating and nothing else.

When Su Mao received the message, his face remained expressionless. Sometimes communication doesn't have to be so clear. Wang Yaotang had already stated that there was no room for negotiation; the matter would be resolved by force!
A thousand words are not as effective as demonstrating force.

It's still possible to talk things over after the fighting is over, even though Wang Yaotang doesn't see much profit left to plunder from Myanmar.

There was nothing the Soviet Union could do about this. With the aircraft carrier in his hands, Wang Yaotang firmly controlled the initiative, and the Soviet Union couldn't find any opportunity to counterattack.

Not long after the news was sent out, the Umbrella fleet set sail and left the coastline, returning to the Amman Sea. At midnight, all the lights on the aircraft carrier deck were turned on, and three Y-12 transport aircraft took off from the aircraft carrier deck via the elevator and soared into the night sky.

One hour ago, in Kalenni, Loikku.

Loikul is the front line of the standoff between the Kayah National Army and the government forces. It is one of the two main cities where the Eastern Military District is stationed, with the other part stationed in Taunggyi.

On a hillside a kilometer outside the city's military camp, several people dressed in camouflage and wearing night vision goggles climbed onto a large rock and peered toward the military camp.

After confirming the location, he breathed a long sigh of relief, "It's this location."

They had previously conducted several reconnaissance missions from the Y-5 aircraft that took off from Jingdong, and that's how they found this relatively good observation position by following the map.

After catching my breath, I cleared a section of the rock with my feet, set up the tripod, and after repeatedly adjusting it to make it stable, I installed a laser emitter and then began aiming through the eyepiece.

Target: Military camp armory.

A dozen minutes later, the communications radio finally received the aircraft signal: "It's here! 30 kilometers from the target. Guide laser illumination!"

"Received!" (End of Chapter)